Naruto: They Weren't Supposed To
by Simusar
Summary: All their lives, they were suposed to love other people. But life likes to change what's "supposed to be." I do not own Naruto or it's characters. Ch 5&6 up
1. Supposed To

All their lives, they were supposed to love other people. For him, he was supposed to love his teammate, the one with bubblegum pink hair. For her, she was supposed to love his other teammate, the one with raven black hair. They were supposed to stay as friends, each following after the other's best friend. But what wasn't supposed to happen, is what led to her, sleeping with her head resting on his chest. Her platinum blonde hair cast in an array behind her, as his arms wrapped around her smaller frame.

A content smile played over the whiskered cheeks of his sun kissed skin. His golden hair splayed over the pillow beneath his head. Small, simple, gold rings adorned third finger of both of their left hands. His was plain, save for one small engraving. Her name, etched carefully, and eloquently into the smooth yellow metal, "_Ino_." Hers bore a tiny, but pure, diamond, princess cut, and it also bore a singular, small engraving. His name, etched with just as much care, and eloquence, "_Naruto_."

The soft, fluffy sheets and comforter wrapped them safely inside their dreams. Dreams that, before, had been filled with other people, but now, those dreams were filed only with each other and their future together.


	2. 8 Years Old

A young blond boy sat on a swing, on his swing. It was the only thing the adults let him near on the playground, at least while their kids were there. His deep sapphire blue eyes held a mixture of emotions as he watched the other kids run, jump, climb and play on the small jungle gym, obstacle course, sand box and slides. Wonder, jealousy, loneliness, sadness, anger; all these emotions swirled around inside the little boy, and to make matters worse, someone was walking towards him and his swing. His body tensed slightly, his little hands tightening around the sings chains, watching this girl walk up to him confidently.

"Hey!" the girl said, her light blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight. "Why're ya sittin over here by yourself?" she asked, a soft breeze fluttering through her short, platinum blonde hair.

Silent at first, he tried to determine what her intent was, '_Is she trying to take my swing away? Why is she smiling at me? She looks nice when she smiles like that. Could she be inviting me to play with her?'_ Many questions and thoughts spun around inside his head, some lifting his hopes, and others drawing up his fear.

"You wanna come play with us?" the unexpected question snapped him out of his thoughts, his eyes locking on to those of the girl infront of him.

"Don't you hate me?" the boy asked, a hint of pain and sadness in his voice.

"Why would I hate you? I just met you," the girl responded, her head tilted to the side, confusion and concern in her voice.

"Everyone hates me," he said, tears forming in his eyes.

Tilting her head to this side in confusion, she asked, "Why is that? You take their cookies or sumthin?"

"No, I didn't take nothing. I didn't do nothing to nobody. Only the old man likes me," he replied, his eyes defiant, yet teary.

"Well I don't hate you, so com an' play with us," she offered, her sky blue eyes full of confidence. She held out her hand, grabbing his as she led him to her group of friends. "I'm Ino, Ino Yamanaka. What's your name?" she asked.

"Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki," he replied as he was nearly dragged across the playground.

"Well Naruto, you wanna be my friend?" she asked, smiling as his mood brightened.

"I'd like that a lot Ino-chan!" he replied, his smile spreading wide across his face.


	3. 12 Years Old

All their lives, they were supposed to love other people

"Did ya hear? Naruto passed!" exclaimed a 12yr old girl with bubble gum pink hair. She couldn't believe that the "dead last" had passed when they all had seen him fail the day before.

"He did? Wow," replied the blonde friend and rival of the pink haired girl. '_I knew you could do it Naruto,'_ she thought, a small smile creeping across her face.

"Yea, but enough about him, I'm gonna find Sasuke-kun and sit next to him," Sakura said, flipping her long, pink hair at her purple-clad rival.

Ino could still remember the day Sakura had ended their friendship, declaring their rivalry over the raven haired Uchiha boy.

--Flashback--

"_Ino, I heard that you like Sasuke-kun too," Sakura said, walking up to her friend, a hint of hesitation in her voice. Her blonde friend didn't respond, sure she had thought Sasuke was cute, but she didn't know if she liked him or not yet. "I guess this makes us rivals…" the roseate haired girl finished, her emerald eyes showing a bit of sadness, and a bit of determination, "I won't loose Sasuke-kun to anyone, not even you Ino."_

--End Flashback--

"Oh yeah?" Ino replied, following her former friend. "Why would Sasuke-kun let you sit next to him forehead, when he can have someone beautiful like me sitting next to him?"

Both girls were shocked and irritated to see Naruto, squatting on the desk in front of Sasuke, staring his blue eyes into Sasuke's onyx ones, from no more than inches apart. They were even more surprised when the boy behind Naruto leaned backwards, bumping Naruto enough to send his lips to meet Sasuke's.

Emerald and cobalt eyes were wide with shock and disbelief, seeing the two boys kiss. Sakura became angry that Naruto had stolen Sasuke's first kiss away from her. Ino on the other hand, couldn't quite place her feelings at the sight. An image of her lips pressed tenderly against those of the orange clad boy, flashed before her eyes for a brief moment. Shaking her head, she chased the image away, looking back to see both of the boys gasping and spitting on the floor as if they'd been poisoned.

Minutes later, the teams were announced, and while Sakura gloated about being on Sasuke's team, Ino's mind kept drifting back to the pink haired girl's other teammate.

'_Why did I imagine myself kissing Naruto?_' she thought to herself, glancing, from time to time, over at the boy. Naruto turned his head, his sapphire eyes meeting Ino's cobalt ones.

Although the glance lasted but a moment, his eyes spoke the thoughts running behind them, '_I miss you._' She felt the words, hearing his voice play in her head, as if he'd whispered them in her ear.

'_I miss you too,_' she thought. Their gaze was interrupted when the door to the classroom opened, several elite ninja entering the room to call the teams they would be teaching.

Soon after, their new lives as shinobi of the Leaf Village began.


	4. 16 Years Old

'Whiskers,' it was the nickname she had given him all those years ago. It was something, albeit small, that was dear to her. She had always cherished her friendship with the boy, just as he had always cherished his friendship with her. Three years ago, their lives changed. Three years ago, the onyx eyes that emerald and cobalt eyes had fought over, left. He walked out of their village, and tried to walk out of their lives. Three years ago, the boy spoke those words, each syllable like a kunai, stabbing at his heart. "Sakura-chan really likes Sasuke huh?" he said, even his tempered mask was unable to hide the pain he felt, realizing that the heart of the girl with bubblegum pink hair, would always belong to Sasuke.

Since that promise not one, not two, but three attempts were made to bring the Uchiha back, and all of them failed. To make matters worse, last week, Naruto had learned of Jiraiya's death.

The soft grass swayed lazily in the gentle breeze. The sunlight shown down brightly on the male sitting atop the large stone monument. The monument bore the faces of the leaders of the village, the Hokages. Shodaime, Nidaime, Sandaime, Yondaime and Godaime, all were skillfully etched into the side of the mountain that over looked the village. It was his favorite spot to think. He was staring off into the distance; he had taken the news of Jiraiya's death pretty hard. He wasn't wearing his head band, or his orange and black jacket.

She was the only other person who knew of this spot; she was the only one he'd ever brought up there. Her light blonde hair, down from the usual pony tail she kept it in, flowed gently around her. The grass softly crunched under her feet with each step she took. He had comforted her when her sensei died, the least she could do for him was the same, to comfort him in his time of pain. He had pushed everyone else away, even Sakura; that had surprised her the most. Her light blue eyes were filled with concern for her fellow blond.

If he had heard her approach, he hadn't shown it. Slowly, she sat down to his left; she could tell he'd been crying even before she could see his tear streaked face. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him towards her, letting his head rest on her shoulder.

"Ino," he whispered as her scent filled his nostrils. She always smelled like flowers.

"Hey Whiskers," she said softly, running her fingers lightly through his hair. He felt safe like this. The glares and comments from the villagers didn't hurt as much. Even the death of Ero Sennin didn't hurt as bad. He guessed it was because she knew this pain too. He had helped her when Asuma died. He had held her, just as she held him now. He even risked himself to help avenge her fallen sensei.

'_This is the least I can do for him,'_ she thought, feeling his silent sobs gradually lessen. They sat there for what felt like hours, but neither one wanted to move, both enjoying the moment.

A soft noise, barely audible, grabbed her attention. _'It sounds like purring,'_ she thought, Naruto gently nuzzling his whiskered cheek against her shoulder, making soft purring noises again.

A smile across her lips; she adjusted their position, allowing his head to rest on her lap. She looked down at his peaceful face. _'He must be tired,'_ she thought, mindlessly running her fingers through his golden hair. Her eyes, as blue as the sky above, fondly watched the sleeping boy. Part of her wished they could stay this way, but she knew it couldn't last too long.

Gently, she tried to rouse the boy, but he remained asleep. A sly grin tugged at her lips as the perfect idea flashed before her eyes. Leaning down, she brushed her lips over his ear, whispering in a lightly sultry tone, "Naruto, if you don't wake up, Ichiraku will run out of ramen." His eyes shot open, his sapphire pools washing into her cobalt ones. For a moment, the world seemed to stop. Nothing else seemed to matter.

Slowly, slowly, slowly, he leaned upwards, his arms propelling him, as if of their own volition. Inch by inch, the distance between them disappeared. Each could feel the other's breath washing over them. Both could feel their hearts beating harder and faster. Softly, his lips brushed against hers, and her lips brushed against his. As they made contact, a spark shot through their spines.

The kiss lasted but a moment, yet had left both breathing heavily as reality came crashing back down around them. Neither spoke for a minute's time. A minute that felt like an eon, as dozens, hundreds, thousands of questions and ideas and scenarios ran rampant behind their blue eyes. They sat near each other, but with space between them, both looking at everything except the other.

'_I love Sakura-chan, don't I?_ he thought. _'But Ino-chan has always been there for me, even when Sakura-chan rejected me.' 'How does she feel about me?'_

'_I like Sasuke-kun, right?'_ she thought, as confused as the boy next to her. _'But even when Sasuke-kun rejected me, over and over, Naruto was there for me every time.' 'How does he feel about me?'_

Unknowingly to the two blonds, one hand, calloused, rough and tanned, and one hand, delicate yet strong, soft and fare, inched closer and closer. As fingertips brushed, another shock shot up their spines. Sapphire eyes turned to meet cobalt, and cobalt eyes turned to meet sapphire.

"Ino," the name passed his lips softly, as easily as a passive breath, _'The air I breathe…'_

"Naruto," the name brought with it a twinge of hope, happiness, warmth and security, _'The bright sun overhead…'_

"Ino," he said again, this time bolder, and with a question in mind. "What are we now?"

"What do you want us to be?" she asked in response, talking hold of his hand.

"I want to be with you, more then what we were before, but…" he said, trailing off while looking down at the grass between them. Their hands and fingers entwined.

"But you have a promise to keep, to Sakura," she said, finished his sentence. Naruto started to pull his hand away from hers, stopping as she spoke again. "I'll wait for you; I'll wait for the time when we can be together," she said, tilting his head up with her free hand, speaking the words as she gazed into his eyes. "I want to be with you too."

Before he could reply, she leaned in, quickly capturing his lips and stealing his words away. Placing his hand on her neck, at the base of her skull, he returned the kiss and deepened it, pulling her into his lap. Eyes closed as lips parted, a naïve tongue, hesitantly probing forward, searching, exploring, seeking permission.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, and her legs around his torso, she pressed herself fully against him, her clothed breasts mashed into his strong chest. She opened her mouth wider, reaching her tongue out to meet his. Their tongues danced in the area where their mouths joined.

Both broke away, both needing air, both gazing, longingly, into the other's eyes. Ino tilted her head forward, resting her forehead against his, a soft smile playing across both of their faces. They would have to wait to be together, but the wait would be worth it. He had a promise to keep, and she knew he never went back on his word. That was what she loved about him.


	5. 20 Years Old

It had taken another year to bring the wayward Uchiha back to Konohagakure no Sato. And as he expected, the pink haired girl had tended to the raven haired man. And as before, he walked out, leaving his two best friends alone. She waited for him outside the room, she didn't need to look inside to know, his body language told her all she needed to know.

Without a word, she fell into step next to her follow blond, reaching her hand for his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. _'I'm here for you,'_ she thought, _'and I always will be.'_ Her message portrayed in her eyes, as she looked into his.

'_Thank you,'_ his eyes replied. They exited the hospital together, still joined at the hand.

Now, at the age of twenty years, the once over confidant male was nervous and fearful of the question on his mind. Even as he lay there, he had been awake for a while. His mind was full of his question, and her possible responses; responses that made him happy, and responses that made him sad and afraid. _'What if she says no?'_ '_What if she doesn't really love me?' 'What if…'_ His questions were interrupted as a pile of soft, light blonde hair next to him began to rouse. Light blue eyes slowly peeked out from behind their shade of delicate skin. Concern glowed within them, as the light of the pale moon caused her sky blue eyes to twinkle like stars.

"Naruto, what's wrong? You've been tossing and turning for hours," she asked, lightly running her hand up his stomach to his toned chest.

"I have something to ask you, but I'm afraid of the answer," he replied, looking down into her eyes, unable to hide the subtle fear within them.

"Ask me, it can't be that bad," she said, propping herself up on one arm. When he didn't respond, she shifted her weight, moving her body on top of his. "Tell me, what's on your mind, Naruto."

He stared up into her soft blue eyes, the concern and love within them dripping out like the gentle rains of the spring. He made up his mind, it was now or never. Slowly, he reached his hand to the nightstand, pulling the drawer open, and dipping his hand inside. Retrieving the object of his turmoil, he closed the drawer, bringing his attention back to the beautiful woman above him.

The box was small, small enough to fit in his lightly closed hand, but big enough to hold his worry, fear and hope. Slowly, he brought the tiny, black velvet box in front of her. Looking down into his eyes, a hint of confusion, a dash of hope, and a pinch of excitement, fluttered through her stomach.

"I know it's not much," he began, the normal cheerful tone in his voice replaced with seriousness, and total focus rarely sampled by his lips. "and probably far from what you dreamed of but, I know I don't have much, but everything I have, everything I am, I am willing to give to you," his words caused her breath to hitch, soft tears threatening to break free from the corners of her eyes. He paused a moment, struggling slightly with the tiny box. "Damn, stupid, piece of, why won't you…" he mumbled in frustration. Suddenly, another hand, soft and delicate was placed over his, lifting the tiny lid to reveal its contents.

A simple, painfully simple he regretted, gold band with a small diamond, which glittered in the soft moon light, peeked out at them both. "Ino," he began, drawing her attention from the ring resting in the tiny box.

"Yes Naruto?" she replied, they could feel each other's heart beating faster and harder.

"Will you marry me?" he asked, holding his breath as he loosed his question, finally, for her.

A light tickling sensation ran through his spine as her finger tips lightly played over his whisker-like birthmarks. A tender warmth flooded his body as she pressed her lips against his, smiling as her voice filled his ears, her warm breath washing over his face. "Yes, Naruto, I will marry you," she answered, pacing the ring on her finger, and leaning down to capture his lips again. His hands came to rest, wrapped around her lithe, slender frame. "I don't care how much you have, as long as I am with you, I have everything I ever wanted," she finished after pulling her lips away from his.

With a smile adorning her face, she laid her head upon his chest, listening to the strong, steady drumming of his heart beat. She felt safe in his embrace, sleep beginning to wash over her again.

The smell of her hair, the sweet scent of orchids, lulled him, luring her, tantalizing them both, to the land of dreams. Dreams of him; dreams of her; dreams of them together; dreams of blond-haired, blue-eyed children, happily playing and terrorizing a certain lazy, pineapple-head genius, and a world famous, always late shinobi. A smile danced lightly over their faces at the thought of their children continuing their legacy.

Tomorrow would be filled with planning, shopping and telling friends. Friends that would likely reply with, "It's about damn time." Tonight, however, was about being together, and a promise made between them. Tonight was just him, and her, together, nothing more, nothing less.


	6. Fin

All their lives, they were supposed to love other people. But life hardly ever goes as it's supposed to. Now, two heads of blond hair sat, contently, together, watching two more heads of blond hair run around before them, laughing and playing as all little children should. _'They won't grow up like I did, I won't allow that,'_ the man thought to himself.

The woman in his arms, his beloved wife, seemed to read his thoughts, as she turned her head to look into his deep blue eyes. Leaning back she whispered, "Don't worry my love, we're both here for them, they won't grow up alone; we're both here for them, and we're all here for you." She kissed his lips lightly as she finished, squeezing their intertwined hands as they both turned their attention back to the two small children before them.

At 24 years of age, Naruto had everything he had dreamed of as a child. He had become Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato; he had a beautiful wife, and two, loud, energetic, and happy children.

At 24 years of age, Ino had everything she had ever wanted out of life. She was married, to one of the most powerful men in the world. She had two beautiful children, and, if her and her beloved husband's antics were any indication, quite possibly many more to come. She had many friends that she could trust with her life.

Sometimes life didn't' turn out like it supposed to, sometimes it turns out better. And these two blonds couldn't be happier.


End file.
